Abstract
A social skills training (SST) for high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) was evaluated in an outpatient setting using a combined between- and within-subject design in which SST and a waiting list condition were compared. According to parents and teachers, the SST produced greater improvement of social skills than the waiting list, and these effects were maintained at 3 months follow-up. No between-group effects were found for loneliness, although in general scores on this outcome measure decreased from pre- to follow-up. The effects of SST were unaffected by social anxiety, ADHD symptoms, Theory of Mind, or desire for social interaction. Altogether, SST seems an effective intervention for high-functioning children with ASD that can be applied in daily clinical practice.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 3493–3504 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 11 |
Early online date | 13 Aug 2016 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Nov 2016 |
Keywords
- Social skills
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Children
- DSM-IV
- INTERVENTIONS
- ANXIETY
- INDIVIDUALS
- LONELINESS
- FRIENDSHIP
- MOTIVATION
- COMORBIDITY
- INTERVIEW
- SCREEN